Motor vehicle



Feb. 2s, 1933. A, L, KNAPP 1,899,443

KOTOR VEHICLE Filed dat. 16. 1930 grwmo @Q5/15H L. KNHPP amm? ` ,g anciana fnl xNArr, q

' PANY, zormnrnor; MLINCBIGAN,

kf My inventionrelatesto niotoryehiclesand l has kparticular relation 'tothefbonnetstruc-pf ture of such vehicles.

j Hitherto in`4 the'l'('Ks'onstr'uctionof'bonnetsj [for motor vehicles, it has been the practice Y to utilizelugs or tongues'` of thebonnetpanels,l

as hingeparts, the usualpraetice .beinglto' provide a' rod, and wrap f alternate lugs from one and the otheroft'wo adjacent "panels` loosely about the rod 'to 'constituteav hinge, This construction, and other.constructions 1in Which the bonnet panels are utilizedashingei I A parts, have the disadvantagejthat 4when the v j Another ob] ect of invention is tof-pro vvide a bonnet hingein which the hinge leaves'ly y vide la bonnet' in Which the edges ofthe bon-t cording to my.y invention; f'

bonnet is open 'thef'top panel-of thevr open section rests directlyjonfthe top panel ofthe closed section, andthe Weight of the open-v section is transferred directly;tov the fclosed top panel, often resulting' ur'y i .to the finished surfaees `ofrthe Y panels and id istor7V Y tionfand injury ofthe panels theni'selvesj i l My invention is -yint'ended .to .over"-:fcorne'k 'f j these'diiliculties andan object 'Ot'theinvene tion isto' provide a bonnet y'in which injury V'of the partsilthereofl fis prevented-.k1y f1 lrAnother object ofLmy invent1o`ri;isktopro-f videone sectionzof a bonnet With-'alrest-or supportingwthel other `bonnet *section` injanl opened position."`

and the panels; are individual parts: f Y 12:1' Another object ofrny invention is topronet panels are reinforcedfy Further features and objectsof-the inven#` tionl Willk `be apparent from the f.-.fo'llowing description taken in connectionwith' thefjaecompanyingdraWing,fin"which kv .y .i

rFig. 1 is a View .inperspect'veof *a'niotorg en wobei-wa vehicle" utilizing a: {bonnet/f 'Figi 2`is an enlarged vieWin 'perspective 'offajportion :of the bonnet of itlieilnotor ve--1v l hicleshown in Fig. l takenin-jsection along the line 2-2, and l Fig'. 3 is a vieWin-persective off-thebon-"f "y net only, showing` my improvedshingelstructure, the `hinge structure being enlargedwith "5b: respect to the .remainderxoffthej bonnet finl order to show its constructioni` 1 streiiron'ro rnc AfiCORroaATIQ @MICHIGAN "l 21"'andk 22 which may be termed thetop 65"' e' I (panels, being'locatedabove the enginecorn- 'i l partment' space, .While the other two; panels f 2?) Iand124- are locatedat lthe sides of t-he'enf'` ,Y i 'gine space. jThe side panels23` and 24 m`ay befprovidediwith doors or 'openings25 ar-` 70` ranged,1fwhen open, tofpermitthe passage; l,

highlyfnished asfby painting.IVF

"oair therethrough. The panelsareusually" j f .f lIfefour panelsareused it is necessayf l provide three hinges "for the bonnet, 'and this 75 1s usually 4done by providingsaA rod or'tubei` ,-,aboutjvvhich'- alternate projections onlugsv f l "f ll: fromv adjacent; panels are 4Wrapped. yto consti-'I` V f tutetherhinges, This hinge construction is.; jlusually ysuitable'for the tWo l sidefhinges "26 S0 and 27, butis not suitablegfor the centerlhin'ge 28', for the reason, ashereinbefore explained," j that Witlriv such j a, construction when -1thej panels .ofthe bonnet are in the opened ,posi-j Y tion, theopen top npanely rests Vdirectly upon 85 the closedtopfpanel; ,i 'i

Y My invention fis intended to obviate the g K f f difficulties- 'ofthedevices of 'theprior;art..fV f

`'lofthisk end l provide downwardly turned flanges-31 v onthe inner fedges'of the top pan-v y9o an upwardly turne'djor return-'bent:portion:` r

32 bentvbackfagainst;'thejdownwardly'pro'j i jectingpartq' They hinge itself coniprisesla 915' painofoppo'sitelydisposedhinge plagtg 3713 vandf38h,avlnglugs orf-ears39and lOjeXtend-k ing lalternately fromfone vandthenthe othert l Y,

torenircle the pivot rod or;pin41.

35." so that when the bonnetv is openthe two buffer strips come together Vt'o support thev yprovided with amolded `bead 43a.

desired material, finished in. 'any 'desirable manner, but are preferably of a non-coi'rpding material, or plated with a non-corroding j material, to give the strip a .decorative finish.`

On reference i to` Fig. 2 Vitl is apparent that 'whenthebonnet is open, as indicated by the.`

dotted linesthe weight of theopen panels is transferred throughV the beadsV 43 of the buffer strip to the plates 137 and ivot rod 41, thus preventing injury of the nished surfaces of the panels or the panelsthemselves.

The hinge plate, buffer strip, and theV downwardly turned flange of eachpanel extend in parallel planes and afford an excellent reinforcing and stiffening device for the panel. rIhe buffer stripv is preferably disposed intermediate the hinge plate and the flange ofthe panel, but may be located at any other position as desired. v

The buffer strip projects above the surface of the panels and is curvedvto afford snpport for the bend in the panels. The upwardly extendingporton acts as a bumper or buffer open-portion of the bonnet at a spaced distance from the closed portion, so that thetop' panelsthemselves do not come into contact with each other. The weight of the open por-y tion of the bonnet is transferred through the buffer.stripstdirectly tothe hinge plates. The vpanels are of the same cross sectional.`

area at the bent portions as they are at other sections and are not weakened at the edge by cutting lugs or projections for hinge leaves.

The entire strength of the panels is utilized at the edge portion where the bend occurs. The bend of the panels is reinforced by means of curved beaded portions .of the buffer strip and consequently a strong structure results.

Although I khave described -a speciliciern` bodiment ofV my invention,pit is apparent thatrmodiications may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modification Vmay be made without departing from "thesp'irit and scope ofthe invention as the appended claims.

Having described the various features :of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is `set forth in 1. In a Vmotor vehicle engine bonnet, a pair of hinged Vpanel sections, and buiferlneans reinforcing the panel sections adjacent their f hinged portion, said buffer means of one' panel section engaging the buffer means of the other Vpanel section to space the panel sections when opened and released.

2. Ina motor vehicle bonnet structure including a pair of panels having hinged engagement withl each other, .a means for pre- "venting bending and injury of the bonnet panels comprising buffer strips disposed between the hinge and the panels to support the Y panels when the bonnet is open, said buffer strips extending above the panels in a relation toengage and space the panels when j one is swung over the other.

3. In a motorvehicle bonnet structure including a plurality of panels having hinged engagement Witheach other, a means for preventing bending and injury of the bonnet panels comprising buffer strips disposed between `the hinge and the panels, having por tions thereof'projecting above the panels,

`adapted to come together when the bonnet is open, to transfer' the weight of the open bonnet panels to the hinge.

4. *In a motor Vehicle bonnet structure, a pair of hinge plates, a buffer `strip engaged to the fouter face ofeachhinge plate and a bonnet panelfastenedw-to each buii'er strip,

said strips engaging to space'the panels when onepanel is opened. j Y

5. In a motor vehicle bonnet structure, a pairof hinge plates, panels secured to the Vhinge Yplates and buffer strips disposed between the panels and hinge plates, said strips engaging tospace the panels when vonepanel is opene Y. Y

6. Ina motor kvehicle bonnet structure, a pair of hingeplates, panels secured `to the hingeplates, buffer stripsbetween the panels and hinge plates, said strips having bead por- `tions projecting beyond the outer surface of thepanels and means for securing the plates, panels and buffer strips together.

\ 7. In a motor vehicle bonnet structure, a pair ofpanels having flangededges, a pair of hinge plates secured to the flanged edges of the panels and buier strips disposed between the hinge plates and the flanged edges of the panels, said buffer strips engaging to `space the panels when one of them is opened.

8. In amotor vehicle bonnet structure including a plurality of panels, means for reinforcing the edges of the panels at the hinges comprising flanges on the panels, apivot rod, a pairof .oppositely disposed hinge plates on the rod,-a strip vdisposed between the hinge plates and the flanges on the panels and means for securing adjacent flanges, strips and hinge platestogether, said strips being arranged to engage and space the panels when one is swung over the other.

9. lIn a motor vehicle bonnet structure,

hinge plates, panels bent to .provide-flanges,

securedto the hinge plates, and strips intermediate the plates and the panels, said strips liaving bead portionsadapted tovbear against 5 t i n the outer surface of thebend of?`r the panelsto t reinforce the same.

0.. In aA motor vehicle v bonnetr structure,

hingev plates, and panelsbentftolf provide` flanges, secured to the lhinge" plates,` means for yreinforcing thejflangesr comprising strips having bead portions, projecting 1k above ,the

` panels, bearing against the bendin the panels thepanel-lange,the hinge plateybnfer strip and panel l'ange'hall. extending inparallel l* planes,l said buer. s tripsbeing assembled to, engage andspace the panelswhen one panel 1 v1s swung over the other, 12.L In a motor Vehicle y a hinge anda panel securedthereto,:a hinge;

' to space the panels'when one isfswu'ng over;

'plate, a flange onthe edge of `the panelextending in a planeparallel `tothe hingeplate,

v abu'er strip disposed between the hinge plateand panel flange andnex'tendi'ng in: a

s plane parallel to them and; means K for securlng .the hinge late v buffer .strip and panel flange together, saidibufe'r, strips engaging the other.

" In testimony whereofI aifu'r'rnjrsignature.'k v

i n ARCHER n KAPP.

bonnet, comprisingM 

